Tip 18: Promote the teaching of creative problem solving skills
So far, the teaching of creative problem solving skills has been rare. As a step toward reducing this rarity, let's briefly look at why creative problem solving should be taught, what to teach, and how to teach it.
Here are three reasons why creative problem solving is a skill worth learning, and therefore worth teaching:
- For real-life problems, solutions must be created. By contrast, school-assigned problems have solutions that already exist -- and that many people already know, or know how to figure out.
- Teaching creativity alone does not teach the skill of refining creative ideas, which is one of the otherwise-neglected parts of creative problem solving.
- People who resist the teaching of creativity in public schools are likely to be more receptive to the teaching of creative problem solving skills.
What skills should be taught? The tips presented in other articles in this series of Creative Problem Solving Tips provide a few samples of the kinds of skills that should be taught. For a much more complete set of creative problem solving skills, including many that won't appear here, refer to my book The Creative Problem Solver's Toolbox.
Here are two comments about how to teach creative problem solving skills:
- Recognize that a teacher of creative problem solving is a facilitator who knows how to apply the skills of creative problem solving to most kinds of problems, but who doesn't need to know how to solve every problem. By contrast, teachers of subjects such as chemistry, mathematics, and history need to be experts who are able to answer any question about their subject.
- If grading is required, avoid using tests that have right and wrong answers. Such tests steer teaching away from higher-level thinking skills -- such as creative problem solving -- toward lower-level thinking skills -- such as arithmetic, spelling, and memorization -- that can be programmed into computers. As an alternate kind of test, students can be presented with a real-life problem and asked to create lists and diagrams (especially radial outlines, which are explained in my book) that show their thought process as they try to create solutions. Arriving at a single definitive "answer" should not be the goal.
Future generations will benefit greatly from increases in the teaching of creative problem solving skills. Fortunately, a few of the elements of creative problem solving are finding their way into elementary, middle-school, and high-school education; a few colleges and universities are beginning to offer courses in creative problem solving; and creative problem solving skills seminars are coming out of their infancy.
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